just four days after completing this year’s Tour de France for Team Sky, described his victory as “unbelievable”.

“I never expected it,” Thomas told BBC Sport.

“Coming off the Tour de France, I was tired at the end of that. I thought it would be a massive challenge to get a result here but the motivation was there.

“I was buzzing to compete for Team Wales. I just got stuck in and it couldn’t have got any better. Carrying the flag tonight [in the closing ceremony] will be a massive honour – that is just as good as winning a race and that means a lot to me and my family.”

Many of the 140 starters dropped out before the end of the 12 laps of the 14km circuit around the centre of Glasgow.

Kennaugh, 25, hit the front immediately and at one stage led by nearly two minutes, but the Manxman eventually faded to end hopes of the Isle of Man’s first Commonwealth Games gold since Mark Cavendish – absent from Glasgow

he sustained in the Tour de France – won the scratch race at Melbourne in 2006.

Thomas, Thwaites and Bauer picked up the gauntlet and went clear of the rest of the field until the Welshman made his decisive break while going up the climb on Montrose Street, eventually winning by one minute 21 seconds.

The medal-winning trio took advantage after Peter Kennaugh was reeled in following a long solo break

Both the men’s and women’s road races brought out the crowds on the last day at Glasgow 2014

The 14km route circled Glasgow city centre, including a section through Kelvingrove Park